Somethirgny: Marcus and Dot
by Firespin98
Summary: Two brothers, both patients at Arkham Asylum, are caught in one's scheme against Harley Quinn. One will have to ally with Batman in order to save the other from his desire for revenge. As Murphy's Law states, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." No romance.
1. Chapter 1

September 7, 2010

Zsasz was down for the count and out of the way- for now. Dr. Westler and the other guards seemed to have the vicinity under control, so Batman pressed onward to the Intensive Treatment ward. Meeting him there were quite a few armed Blackgate prisoners, he took them out with ease.

"Can you hear me, Batman? I know you can." a voice sounded from his earpiece.

It was a familiar voice, an unforgettable voice. That of a pompous TV host. That of the _Riddler_.

"Yes, it is I, Edward Nigma, the Riddler! And more importantly, your intellectual superior."

He didn't need this. Not now.

"My genius has allowed me to easily hack into your primitive communications. My goal is simple. You complete a series of amusingly taxing challenges and, well, you'll see. Ready for your first one?"

No time for this.

"Good! But be careful...don't cut yourself on this sharply observed portrait."

The words he stressed on were clear giveaways. Batman observed the portrait of Warden Quincy Sharp. Considering the Riddler was communicating with him by hacking into the communications feed Oracle was sending, Batman deduced that he'd also be able to receive data analysis shots. He took one of the portrait.

"So you did it. Well done. I would have expected a child to work that one out, let alone the world's greatest detective. Well...second world's greatest detective," with a laugh, he disconnected.

A guard, William North, came from a locked room and motioned him to hurry over

"It was a massacre. Boles came walking in telling everyone to cover the front entrance, said something about Joker's army coming through the main gate! Two of my guys moved to the exit and Frank shot 'em dead. They never stood a chance..."

"Was Boles alone?"

"Thought he was, then I saw Harley Quinn. He was surrounded by Blackgate prisoners. They were just killing everyone one in the room! ...I had no choice! I got in here, locked the door. I could see it on the security feed. They had someone with them, it looked like the Commissioner."

Batman mentioned how Boles may have been terminated due to no longer being useful.

"Good! He was scum."

While Batman was leaving the facility, he overheard a news broadcast on a radio in the locker room. People thought he was dead.

He finally managed to get out via air vents. There were guards scattered in the vicinity of Arkham East, and hopefully the entire island.

"Hello, Batman."

This wasn't Oracle or the Riddler.

"Who is this?"

"The Riddler didn't bother to lock his own feed when he hacked into yours until you two were done conversing. I happened to be looking for an open signal. I was in at the right time, it seems. Just long enough to know he was talking to the Batman."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I don't have to. That's a funny thing about talking to a stranger when you're not face to face with them; I can tell you my real name, or a fake name, nothing at all, or an alias. I could be a civilian, patient, prisoner, doctor...I could be a supercriminal, for all you know. I could be anybody."

"I've tracked you. You're on the island. If you were a doctor you would tell me your name- you wouldn't have been able to get into this feed in the first place. You're either a prisoner or patient."

"Nicely deduced."

"Go back to your cell."

His voice dropped from the cheeriness to something darker.

"What if I don't want to? Why should I go back to my cell when nobody else is? I'm not the one fainly fulfilling the Joker's every whim unlike those savage prisoners, so why should I stay locked up in a cage? I'm not doing any harm. On the other hand, what they're doing is wrong- I have an obligation as a human to do what is right. I should march straight back to my cell and lock the door. Then again, that could be dangerous for me. You can see my dilemma, I simply can't decide. You know what that's called? When someone can't decide?"

There was a pause.

**"Indecisiveness." **he growled. The connection broke.


	2. Chapter 2

"...Oracle."

"I'm already searching databases with the information I heard. It seems he forgot to lock his connection as well until he disconnected."

"Cross reference all data from Arkham's servers with the GCPD."

"I got it. It's a patient, 25, name Marcus Valle. The Arkham file is partially ruined though, beyond my recovery. Only trivial things remain."

"Give me all the information you have." he picked up a Riddler trophy.

"Other than what I gave you, he was formerly a computer technician intern for WayneTech, a ballet dancer, or ballerino, in his free time. July 4, 2009, he tied his former roommate to a firework- the victim died of blood loss. While fleeing the scene of the crime, he ran into traffic and severely damaged the skin on his arms. He requires clean bandages on his arms and knuckles every 12 hours for a 3 month period. He has been placed in the Intensive Treatment ward. It's not giving me any background information or anything."

"That's good enough."

"Is he going to be a problem, Bruce?"

"I don't know. As long as he's not in league with the Joker, he should be out of the way for a w-"

"Bruce, I'm getting a signal, the Batmobile is in trouble."

"Disable the Batmobile's countermeasure system."

"I see the alert now. Where are you?"

"I'm outside the Arkham Mansion. Harley Quinn probably gathered goons to wreck it. She still has Gordon with her, he could get hurt."

"Okay, done! The Batmobile is still parked outside of Intensive Treatment building in Arkham North. I've sent you the schematics for the entire island. I've marked key locations like your car."

"Thanks, Oracle."

He ran to Arkham North, having to take out a couple of armed prisoners in the process, and making sure to stay above ground. When he reached the Batmobile, he saw a gang of about ten prisoners effacing the vehicle. He quickly formulated a plan of action.

"Batman. About my temper earlier...terribly sorry. Anyways. I thought you ought to know your Batmobile is under attack, but...I see you've already found out. No matter. I'll wait until you finish them off."

He did so, and picked up a lead on Gordon- his pipe. He never left anywhere without. Batman picked up a trail leading to a blocked entrance to another part of the island.

"Hn. Before you go, walk 5 feet forward, and 8 feet to the right. Place that explosive gel you just got on the off-looking part of the ground. Make it explode, or whatever you do."

He was right; a Riddler trophy was there.

"Oh, you found that one. Sorry. It wasn't much of a challenge. I was running out of time." the Riddler said. He disconnected as soon as he connected.

"I'll help you, somewhat. This could be the start of something very fun. Ooh, go on top of that security office and blow up the roof. Trust me."

Batman did as told, but with strong reluctance. He fell inside, and lo and behold, there was a map of the Riddler's trophies and challenges.

"What did I t-"

"So you've given in and taken my map. I hope it proves useful." Riddler growled.

"...The Riddler can be frightening. Some would think he's the least scary of the gallery, but I think that would go to Catwoman. Then Penguin. Not many come to mind right now otherwise, but Riddler can be scary."

"No, Valle. There's no time for games. Turn yourself in to the guards, they'll take you back to your cell."

"No, Batman..." he sighed, "I'm perfectly fine here...I have a comfy chair, a nice little set up, hell- I even have internet. I have a food source, and nobody can get to me. This is the safest and...nicest I've felt in a long time. And I am going to have it."

"What about your arms? What are you going to do when you need to replace the bandages?"

"I have all the materials needed with me."

Batman decided that ignoring him would be the best thing. He was going to have to go to Arkham West to continue his trail with Gordon, and the entrance was locked. He resigned to going through East. When he entered, there were was no security in sight. He scaled Arkham Mansion for a better look.

"...It's beautiful, isn't it?" Marcus whispered, seeming almost out of breath. "The skyline..."

Batman turned to look at the skyline. A soft, green glow radiated from the skyscrapers and traffic. Spotlights waved through the air. The water reflected everything remarkably.

"Have you ever seen something that, for a split second, seemed like a defining moment in your life? And then, just later... it seems pointless. Insignificant. Something so beautiful...so meaningless...you thought it would be a defining moment in your life, it just felt like it would've. It should've..."

"What are you talking about, Valle?"

"Look around the corner of the roof."

Batman did, and found another Riddler trophy. He heard him release a shaky sigh.

"I have to go," he choked, disconnecting the line.


	3. Chapter 3

Marcus slammed his elbows down onto the table, forcing his hands through his hair. He pulled and yanked at it, trying to fight back an onslaught of tears. He wouldn't normally get so emotional over a pretty skyline, it was the damn medication- with it he had a spasmodic behavior. _Bipolar Disorder_ they said.

He pressed a button on his light board turned communication board, and was connected to another signal.

"Dot?"

"Hmm?"

"Could I get a cake?"

"You can't keep running on sugar. Even a hamburger would be best for you right now."

"Fries?"

"Sure. I'll send it to you."

Marcus disconnected and crawled into the shaft- it would take him about ten minutes to reach the outlet to the island itself, and there, awaiting him, would be a meal wrapped in saran wrap. He may have to wait some moments, but it'd be worth it. Dot was the best cook on the island. He was a chef before he was admitted.

As was expected, the meal was there. He took it and began to crawl back, up the ladder, crawl more, through a corridor of rock, crawl some more, make some turns, up a ladder, crawl, and he was back in his little nook.

"Thank you, Dot."

"Anytime!"

He picked at the French fries.

"Do you know where to go when you're hungry, Batman?"

No answer.

"This isn't the Riddler, by the way."

Still no reply.

"Batman, are you alive?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"You need your medication."

"No I don't! If anything, it'll make it worse!" he hissed, slamming his fists down on the table.

"See? You're throwing a childlike tantrum, when seconds ago you were apologizing for your earlier strange behavior, which you were displaying when you were apologizing for your rage."

"Fine. I won't help you. Good luck surviving without me!"

"I'm sure I can find glowing green trophies on my own."

"That's not all! I have surveillance of the entire island, I know everything here. I'm practically a god."

"You're not. Some might call that a god complex."

Batman heard some sort of clattering in his earpiece. Marcus had broken the plate his meal had come on. There were some strange breathing noises. It turned out to be laughter.

"You are a silly bat! You're batty! I know you're trying to get to me," he chuckled in a sing song voice. "It won't work. Besides, you really don't want to rub me wrong while you're here. I know almost everything he knows, and I'm not trying to kill you. You're being incredibly stupid." His head was spinning, everything seemed a little distorted.

"Alright, Valle. What do I do?"

"Well, you've gotten to East, yes? Then you should...should...oh...OH, eugh..."

"Valle?"

"My stomach...my head...eugh...I-I don't feel weAA-"

Batman could hear him fall out of a chair and vomit, and then the line disconnected. Marcus connected to Dot.

"Wh-What's happening?! I'm sick, I j-" he was cut off by severe cramping in his stomach.

"Marcus? What's wrong?"

"Sick, I'm s...I think your burger..." he managed to slur it out.

"No, no, that can't be it. You're probably just detoxing on your medication. I just finished getting it out of my system as soon as the Joker got here. You'll be fine soon, just don't eat for a while, okay?"

"Detoxing...detoxing...deto..." he pushed himself off of the floor.

"It'll take a few hours. Rest for now. Keep a trash can near you. It should wear off in about an hour; I'll have a gallon of water available to you soon."

Marcus disconnected. Batman would have to be on his own for a while. He watched him fight off a couple of inmates through the monitors. He was finding those riddles and trophies as if he didn't need his help. Riddler seemed like he'd be on edge soon.

A light on the board lit up. Someone was connecting to him. He scrambled to put the headset on and waited for a full connection.

"Marcus Caesar Valle, age 25, patient #880931d. Cell #12, Intensive Treatment ward. Placed on counts of 7 murders, 2 kidnappings, and 10 thefts. Bipolar Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. Metrosexuality? Interesting. IQ unavailable. Lower than mine, obviously. I remember you. We crossed paths a couple of times when meeting with our doctors for therapy sessions. We need to have a little talk regarding the clues you've been dropping for Batman. _I'm the only one that gives clues around here._"

"Riddler...? Riddler. I'm no-"

He was cut off by a gag and vomit.

"I'M NOT GIVING HIM FUCKING CLUES, I'M-"

He threw up again, this time he was so disoriented from it that he fell face first from his chair to the puddle of vomit. He groaned in misery, and did his very best to hide the crack in his voice. He was sad. He hated life at the moment.

"Someone has a temper. You sound rather stressed there, Marcus. Problem?"

"I'm detoxing."

"Oh, poor you," he muttered sarcastically. "Now, as I was saying- don't help the Batman. Those riddles are MINE, and I gave them to HIM. Now, if you want, and if I have time, I can set up a whole different range of riddles, challenges, and trophies for you. It'll be fun watching you fail."

"I...don't really want any riddles for myself...to be honest, I'm just bored, and talking to Batman and assisting him helps me pass the time until I can leave this island."

"I don't care, Valle. I don't care what you do; just don't give him the answers! That's cheating!" he growled. Marcus was legitimately frightened- he didn't want to upset the Riddler.

"Fine."

"That's what I thought. How did you know where they were, anyway? Did you get a copy of the maps?"

"No, I'm in an area with access to newsfeeds from all the security cameras. I see everything. I know everything."

_"I doubt that."_

He disconnected.

Marcus began to cry quietly to himself, waiting for the next wave of vomit.


	4. Chapter 4

On another part of the island, in a hidden part, was an abandoned security office. This security office was so well hidden, that nobody had managed to find it except Marcus. Marcus had no use for it. He gave it to the one man he thought deserved it the most. The term 'man' is used loosely, considering he gave it to a 21 year old. His name is Dot.

Dot was a chef before his admittance into Arkham Asylum. He started out young and was coasting on his prime before he committed his crime.

Marcus had helped Dot move in appliances stolen from the kitchen, but only the necessities that couldn't be substituted. For instance, they didn't bother to use a refrigerator when there was an ice chest available.

Dot, whenever he could, would escape to this hidden spot and cook. Most of the stuff he made weren't eaten. He didn't want to give it to anyone for fear of getting killed for some reason. Or somebody following him. He didn't want to talk to anyone of them, really, except Marcus.

It was a bond between brothers.

Dot needed more blueberries. He snuck to the kitchen and took as many as he could find, though they looked rather disgusting. On his way back, he had discovered a body. Normally he wouldn't care, but this body had a colorful costume, albeit a skimpy one. It was Harley Quinn, of course.

Dot was generally a nice fellow, so he decided it was in her best interest to take her back to his hiding spot. He set her on the love seat he had stolen from a doctor's office and tended to his newest dish; blueberry muffins.

He hummed to himself quietly.

The muffins were still baking when Harley woke up.

"Hey, what's the deal here!? What's goin' on?"

Dot hadn't heard a voice that loud in a long time. He had grown used to the silence, so her sudden, loud voice made him jump.

"P-Please keep your voice down...I'm Dot- nice to meet you. I found you somewhere in the middle of the island, you were knocked out."

"Ugh! Those lousy thugs! Wait till I get my hands on them! Ya know, they never liked me. They were jealous because Mistah J would put me before them. I'm worth hundreds of them! Thousands!"

"...Yes, well. This is my little home away from home, I guess you could say. Would you like a glass of water? The muffins should be done shortly, I'm just waiting for them to turn into that perfect shade of gold. That reminds me, I need to get some water to my br-"

"You didn't try anything, did you?"

"O-Of course not." he stuttered, appalled by the idea.

"Good, 'cause I'm saved for somebody else!"

"You don't have to worry about me, I'm not really interested."

"What?"

"Please keep your voice down..."

"Not interested?! Hello! Have you seen me? Even Bat-brain thinks I look hot in this! You're gay, aren't you?"

"No, I'm just not interested is all...sorry?"

"Y'know, I thought we would get along! You think I'm ugly!"

"I never said that, I-"

"Well, here's what I think!" she had moved to the threshold of the exit, raised her foot high in the air, and brought it down with a frightening force. She hit something, he wasn't sure what. There was a hissing sound. Did she kick a snake?

"Tata, Dotty!" she waved, skipping off.

Dot stood, bewildered. He went to inspect where she had 'kicked', for lack of a better term, and found the gas line from the wall to the stove disconnected. He slowly turned to stove, and saw the burner on.

"No!" he cried, throwing himself out of the small building. He had done so just in the right time. As he hit the ground, the building exploded. He heard Harley's laugh in the distance. He turned back to his little house and saw nothing but foundation and rubble. His heart sank. He felt nauseated.

Batman saw this explosion and went to investigate.

There, he found young Dot on his knees in the middle of the destruction. He looked completely disheartened. Batman came up behind him.

"What happened?"

"...Doctors say one step to becoming more civilized is to be nice. Be kind. Be generous. I saved her from possible harm, and she did this...it's what I get for being nice..." he muttered.

"Batman- what was that explosion?" Marcus finally came back on the earpiece.

"Who did this?"

"Harley Quinn- who else?"

"Batman, tell me what's going on!"

"Harley Quinn blew up a security office," he then turned to Dot. "Who are you?"

"My name is Dot. I was hiding out in there, and I saved her from possibly being killed or raped. Could you please just leave me alone? I don't want to talk to anymore costumes."

"Harley Quinn blew up a security office a nurse named Dot was hiding in."

"Oh, no...is he alright?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"He's not a nurse, Batman."

Dot rummaged through the wreckage, for no particular reason. He found a knife. A butcher knife, to be precise. He stared at his reflection in it, long and contemplating.

"I hate her. Why couldn't I have just said I was gay or something? Or keep my mouth shut...I hate her...I h**ate her...I hate her so much...**"

Dot's whole look seemed to change a shade darker. He put the knife away in a desperate attempt to avoid that dark gaze. He continued to rummage. He found little containers of seasonings, herbs, and spices. Cinnamon, Pepper, Chili Powder, the like. He looked back at the knife. The knife looked back at him. He looked at the cinnamon.

He took the knife and seasonings and ran.

Batman quickly returned to where he once was, but he was long gone.


	5. Chapter 5

"Is he a patient?"

"Yes- he's my brother, actually. Great cook. Is he still in your sight?"

"No, I should've knocked him out."

"I don't know about that. As soon as he'd wake up, he'd go after you. My bet is that he's going to try and kill Harley. Well, not him. The other him. It's hard to explain. He's more dangerous than I am, that's for sure."

"Tell me about him."

"Well. Dot is harmless. He won't hurt a fly. He couldn't hurt a fly. He lives to serve people great food and see the joy on their faces as they shovel it in."

"And he'll try to kill Harley."

"No, Dot won't."

"You just said he would."

"I corrected myself. Dot won't kill Harley. Cinnamon will."

"Cinnamon?"

"Dot is the kindest, most gentle person you'll ever meet in your life. More than your own mother. Everyone has a dark side, though. You get angry, don't you? Of course you do. Everybody gets angry. Everybody except Dot. He has somebody else to unleash that anger, Cinnamon. Cinnamon is Dot, in a sense. All of the anger Dot ever gathers up is stored in a killing machine called 'Cinnamon', and when it becomes too much, Cinnamon takes over. Dot will have no memory of what happened under Cinnamon's control."

"Then _Cinnamon_ is in for a rude surprise."

"I don't know. We'll see. Batman, I'm worried about him. Please snap him out of it- who knows what he'll do. What Cinnamon will do. Please help..."

"Fine. On one condition."

"...What is it?"

"When this is over, you return to your cell. I'll escort Dot to his."

"F-Fine..."

"You said you had a live feed of the entire island?"

"Yes."

"Where is he now?"

"Ahm...I don't see him. He's good at hiding. If I were you, I'd find Harley. I don't know where she is though. I'll rewind some memory. She...I believe...is in the Penitentiary. Cinnamon isn't a wolf or cat- he can't track her scent or anything. He can interrogate, though. He can also follow a trail of dead bodies, if she leaves one. Your best option is to find Harley. Then wait. Cinnamon will be there, if he hasn't already found her. He's had a head start, so I'd get right on it if I were you."

"What are the chances of him being armed?"

"With a gun? Slim to none. He'll use whatever he is skilled with and closest. Where did you last see him exactly? Exactly."

"He was in the middle of the wreckage."

"He'd probably have a knife or frying pan. If he has a choice he'd take a butcher knife- they're good for throwing as well as close combat."

"I'm well aware."

Marcus disconnected and stared at the monitor showing where the security office was. Batman quickly disappeared from sight. He let out a breath. Batman wasn't aware of how close he was to Marcus's hideout. How close he was to the entrance, anyway. About 4 yards away, against the rock wall, was a small enclave; you had to crouch to get into it. If you crawled in far enough, there was a vent with the grate removed. If you crawled into that, there was a series of twists, turns, ladders, and vents you maneuvered through to reach the little office with a one way window viewing the entirety of Arkham West.

The hideout was made on Amadeus Arkham's order. Of course, there were doors and staircases installed for him, but the doors rusted over and locked, and the staircases fell apart over time. Marcus, upon overhearing Joker's plan via Harley, decided to find a place to nest during the overtaking. He found the security office and helped move Dot into it, then found the little nook and vent, and started getting ladders to reach the places too high up. It was a pain in the ass. Sometimes he had reached dead ends, once he had to move rubble out of the way. He stole computer monitors, TVs, anything that could upload the feed from the cameras. The finishing touch was a chair and laptop. All were found in Dr. Young's office.

Looking back on it, and looking around him, he felt deeply satisfied with his work. Hearsay told him the Scarecrow and Riddler had done the same, but hearsay also told him Riddler wasn't even on the island. He didn't want to dwell on it. He wanted to find his brother. He left his office, earpiece on.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a while since he was out in the open. It was cool and humid. There were a few Blackgate snipers and others unarmed roaming around. He hid in the rubble of what was once Dot's kitchen. It smelled different- all the ingredients burned and such.

He searched through the debris for a weapon and the butcher knife, and, upon not finding it, concluded Dot had taken it. Marcus settled for a large, normal looking knife. He wasn't a fighter. He wasn't near as skilled with knives as anybody else on the island might be. He did, however, possess skills every ballerina or ballerino should have.

Years of training and dancing allowed him to sneak past snipers and silently take down a prisoner here and there. A difficult task lay ahead of him; find Cinnamon before he finds Harley and avoid Batman.

Batman was already well in the Penitentiary, and was doing his best to ignore the collection of crazies. It was a bit barbaric, having them all locked in those cages, but it was better than them being on the streets. They were beyond help.

"Surprise! Y'know, Bats, I always thought there was a spark between us." Harley jumped out, twirling her pigtails.

She then proceeded to backflip onto the bars of the cell behind her, flip and grab an upper cell, then flip to the top of a cell cluster. He heard something break.

"Well, now there is!"

The floor started to spark- a guard coming-to began to get up but was too late. The floor came alive with electricity, ready to fry the patients' next dinner.

"I know, I know, you're shocked!" she giggled, "Come and get me, Bats! I double dare ya!"

The electricity was coming towards him. He quickly grappled to the upper floor and was met with about 10 prisoners. Harley was swinging from what looked like a wire.

"That's not fair, bat-brain." she taunted as he knocked out one of the prisoners.

He took down two others.

"Hey, B-man! Go easy on my boys! Ah- what the hell- they deserve it after leaving me unconscious back there!"

He took a severe punch combo and fell to the ground momentarily.

"Ouch! That looked like it hurt!"

She sighed in frustration as another henchmen fell.

"Little hint, boys: keep away from the fists!"

Finally, the last one fell. Harley jumped from her perch on the swinging wire and grabbed a door threshold. She flipped and landed like a cat, for show.

"Was that as easy as it looked? Hmm. Well, it won't be so easy trying to catch me!" she shook her head and darted off.

"Marcus, are you there?" Batman asked, holding his earpiece.

Marcus didn't answer.

He ventured to the room behind him; Harley could wait. Useful information could be anywhere. He didn't found very useful information, but he did find an interview tape. He scanned and listened. It was Marcus's.

_"Taped patient evaluation 1. Patient name is Marcus Valle, diagnosed with severe Bipolar Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder; we're suspecting Paranoia."_

_"Dr. Young! Oh, how grand it is to see you, I love your hair today. Oh! Where did you get that-"_

_"Hello, Marcus. How are you feeling today?"_

_"I heard your diagnoses, Young. Bipolar Disorder? You know that's not true. You know it."_

_"We've been over this multiple times, Marcus. A team of professional evaluators, myself included, deduced this. We're posit-"_

_"Listen to me, you lying bitch. Oh no, don't even bother reaching under this table. I KNOW. I know what you've been doing. I was perfectly sane! And then you put me on that damn medication. Now the only question is why? And when will it stop?"_

_"Marcus...you have to stop thinking that...the sooner we see an improvement on your behavior, the sooner your dosage will be reduced."_

_*shuffling noises*_

_"Guar-"_

_*thump on the table, table screeches across the floor, various other noises*_

_"GUARDS!"_

_"Get him off her! Somebody get me an orderly- we need tranqs here!"_

It cut off. He shook his head and disabled the electric floor. Harley was waiting.

He entered a room and was greeted to the site of two guards suspended in the air above electrified water. Harley was in an observation booth.

"Look who's finally turned up! The Dork Knight himself! How's it hanging, Bats? Got a little problem for ya. See those two guards over there? I know. Shocking! How ya going to save them?"

Upon entering, Batman had taken notice to a secure access tech box. He would be able to disable it by using the Cryptographic Sequencer. The electricity shocking the water of the first guard ceased.

"No fair, that's cheating, Bats. Time to turn up the pressure. 2 minutes and counting."

He threw a Batarang at the rope suspending guard 1 and freed him. Batman ran and did the same thing to guard 2 and the water beneath him.

"Time for me to go, Bats! I'll miss you! NOT! Oh- and now you only have 30 seconds to get out. Bye bye!" she waved, skipping out of the booth.

He used the sequencer on the exit, and the 3 were out of the room in no time.

"I thought we were both going to die back there." a guard muttered.

"You're safe now."

"You going after that crazy witch? I saw her heading out the door as we got out of the room."

"She won't get away. I'll stop her and then her boyfriend."

"Good! Listen, I'll go try and get the ventilation system working. If you find her, don't go easy on her. For me."

He followed them back to the booth Harley was in. There he found another interview tape. He scanned and listened.

_"Taped patient evaluation 2. Patient is Marcus Valle. Diagnosed with Paranoia, Bipolar Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. I am Dr. Westler; I am filling in for Dr. Young until she comes back from her leave. Marcus. How are you feeling today?"_

_"I'm not."_

_"Could you elaborate on that?"_

_"I could, I guess."_

_"Will you?"_

_"...I don't know...I don't want to..."_

_"That is fine, we don't have to. What's your happiest memory, Marcus?"_

_"Uh...the only thing I can think of was being on stage..."_

_"Yes, it said in your file you were an avid ballet dancer."_

_"I guess."_

_"What performance did you like best? That you were in."_

_"I don't remember...it's been so long...all I remember are the people. Some good ones. Some bad. Such is life."_

The tape cut off there for some reason.


	7. Chapter 7

He went after Harley. Her taunts would come over the intercom, she was even helping him. She was ready for his attack.

He found another interview tape on the way.

_"Taped patient evaluation 3. Patient is Marcus Valle. I'm Dr. Westler, temporarily filling in for Dr. Young. I believe I am making advancements with this patient and will inquire if he could be placed under my care when Dr. Young returns. Our last session was accidentally cut off due to low batteries in the tape recorder. Marcus, how are you today?"_

_"Better than last time."_

_"That's good. Do you know why you felt so...apathetic last session?"_

_"I don't know, sometimes I feel that way. Bad days. May I ask you something?"_

_"Of course."_

_"Would I be able to have lotions and stuff in my cell?"_

_"Ah- um, I don't think-"_

_"Not for masturbating. I'm a groomer, you see, before I was admitted I had a process. Every morning I had a specific process of applying lotions and cleansers to my face. A razor and shaving cream would be nice, but that's asking too much."_

_"...We'll see, Marcus. Let's talk about your childhood, shall we?'_

_"There's nothing special about it. Average parents, average living, average, average, average."_

_"Something had to have happened that influenced who you are now."_

_"No. I could've been born this way. It could be my personality. I hope you don't believe there is a reason for everything, as you're displaying now."_

_"I do believe there is a reason for everything. A rational, logical reason."_

_"You believe there is a logical, rational reason for me being who I am?"_

_"Yes."_

_"...Okay."_

The tape cut off again. He proceeded onward until he came into the room Harley was waiting in. The floors were electric but not active. He saw a monitor with the Joker on it. Below was Harley in a protected observation deck.

"Here he comes, Mr. J!"

"Excellent! I'll leave it to you then, my dear."

"_Get him_!" Harley screeched.

Four prisoners came from the upper right door, and as he fought, the floor beneath him began to light up. He ran to the right upper floor just in time- one prisoner didn't make it and was incapacitated. As he defeated the first group, another group came. And another. And another, until he finished them all.

"He's done it again," Harley sighed, "I don't believe it. I'm on my way now."

"Oops! Change of plans, kiddo!"

"But I tried my best!" she cried.

"Sorry, but there is no prize for second place. I'm afraid you're off the party list. Better luck next time." he cackled, disconnecting the camera feed.

"No!"

She ran down to face Batman. She was absolutely livid. "Die, you big, ugly bat!" She flipped and twirled her way to him, finally attempting to land a kick. He grabbed her foot and threw her at the wall. She hit her head- hard. He went over to her and grabbed her elbow.

"Hey! Hands off the merchandise!" he grabbed a piece of paper from her bra. "That's MY party list!"

"Quiet...Why the smiles next to certain names?" he asked, holding the list up in front of her. She stood and dusted herself off.

"You're the detective, you tell me."

He shook his head, and as soon as it was turned from her, she leaned in to punch. He dodged and grabbed her arm, flipped her over on her back, and scanned her hand. He then threw her into a cell and locked her in.

"You're not gonna find Mr. J! He's in a secret lab in the gardens and- oh, crap!"

"Yup, I know. Trust me Quinn, you'll be safer in there."

"Damnit! Well, what do you know, anyways? He'll get me out, you'll see! Yeah...you'll see..." she sighed, resigning to her fate.

She cried.

He left.

She stopped crying and began plotting and attempting to find an exit. She took a small butterfly knife from her hosiery and began to wedge apart the bars. It was of no use. She sat, defeated. And then the cell bars opened. She looked around, suspicious and cautious.

"Who's there!? Mr. J, is that you?"

A deep, malicious chuckle rang through the intercom. She looked to the observation deck but didn't see anyone.

"Come out and fight me!"

Another laugh. She tucked her knife away and cracked her knuckles.


	8. Chapter 8

Another laugh. She tucked her knife away and cracked her knuckles.

"Do you remember this voice, Harlequinn?"

"Uh, no. I'm better with faces, so come out and show yourself, ya creep! Oh no...C-Creeper?"

"No. So you don't remember me?"

"No, sorry. But thanks for letting me out! I'll be going now."

"I can't let you leave." he breathed.

He stepped out of the shadows, butcher knife in hand. He looked positively deranged.

"Hey...I remember you...you're the guy who called me ugly!"

"Wrong-o." he chimed, his mouth forming a splitting grin.

"No, I remember! Same face."

"Same face. Not the same man." he took a step forward and revealed the butcher knife.

"Ooh, you want revenge on me or something'? Come at me, Dotty!"

"Dot's not here, Harley. It's you and me."

With that, he charged her, slowly, knife ready. She flipped towards him. When they collided, He had cut her arm. She had kicked his face. He fell to the ground and she bounced back, observing her new wound.

"How did you get in here without the Bat seeing you?"

"There's a vent...it connects every building to each other."

"Huh. C-"

She was cut off by Cinnamon raising his head; it collided with her head. She fell back, but was quick to get back on her feet. He quickly realized he would get nowhere by attempting short range attacks. He could afford to lose the butcher knife. She began to flip towards him again. He aimed and threw the knife with the precision of a dart at a dartboard. It hit her in the corset and went through. She yelped in pain and looked down at her injury.

Cinnamon took the time and reached for a hand full of Cayenne Pepper.

She pulled the knife out of her. "Haha! It's barely a scratch! It's like a paper cut! Thanks for the butcha' knife, by the way!" She ran straight towards him.

He waited until she was close enough and threw the hand full of pepper straight into her face, then backed up.

Harley screamed in pain and dropped the knife. Her hands went to rub her eyes, but it only made her situation worse. He kicked the knife from her and it fell off the platform; Cinnamon was going to finish her with his bare hands. He went in for the kill.

"AUGH! Y-YOU CHEATER! I'll kill you, I'll fucking kill you!" she shrieked, thrashing about.

She thrust her leg out, catching Cinnamon by surprise. She landed a kick straight to his abdomen. He crumpled to the ground in a type of pain he had never experience before. He thought he would pass out right then. It wasn't him, though. It was Harley. She crumpled to the floor, shaking, but silent.

He made an effort to get up, but it was useless. It hurt too much. What the hell was wrong? His easiest bet would be taking the vent to the medical facility and meeting at the dock where Marcus told him to be. He crawled on.

Marcus had entered just when Cinnamon had left. He found Harley on the ground and no Cinnamon.

"Shit...Harley. Harley Quinn?"

No response.

He ran to her side to check if she was breathing, and was relieved to see that she was, and that she also didn't have any serious wounds. That is, until he saw her face.

Her eyes were puffy and red; a rash had broken out around there. He lifted an eyelid and say red. Not blood red, but red.

"Damnit...Harley, Harley. Harley, wake up. Wake up!"

She was out like a light.

He found it useless and deduced where Cinnamon could've gone. He could be back at Marcus's office, or at the dock where he told him to be later. He found the vent that connected all the buildings and worked through it, desperately trying to remember the right path. Once he was about midway, he realized how much easier it would've been to just leave the Penitentiary and go to the Medical Facility through the outside.

Cinnamon was in the Medical Facility now, and found a good amount of painkillers. He took two and pocketed the rest. It barely helped. He crawled onward. He remembered something Marcus said.

_"Be careful where you go, Dot. The Rogues lay claim to every building. Poison Ivy is going to be dominating the Botanical Garden if she breaks out, so don't go there. Intensive Treatment will be mainly under Joker's and Harley's control. The Pen is where all the legitimate crazies are stored, so stay clear. Arkham Mansion is free so far. Stay away from the Medical Facility- Scarecrow is hiding there."_

Scarecrow is somewhere here.

Cinnamon crawled faster. He was only using his arms and upper body- it was an agonizing feat. He didn't want Scarecrow finding him.


	9. Chapter 9

Marcus eventually made it on the other side, in the Medical Facility. He quickly located a surgical mask and started searching the area. If Cinnamon was here, he wasn't leaving a trail. He couldn't tell if this was good or bad.

Eventually, he found him in the lobby. On the floor. Slowly crawling. It was a wonder how Scarecrow hadn't found him.

"M-Marcus..." he choked, reaching out. Marcus felt his heart drop.

"Okay, it'll be okay. C'mon, we're getting you out of here, okay? We're leaving now. Come on, up you go, Dot, up you go." Marcus muttered, helping his brother up.

"Still Cinnamon..."

"Cinnamon," Marcus began, walking them both out the door, "what happened?"

"I got back at that bitch. Cayenne pepper in the eyes. It'll be a miracle if she's not blinded, but then she kicked me...in the abdomen...and it hurts, Marcus, it hurts! I don't know what's happening!"

"Where exactly does it hurt, Cinnamon?"

Cinnamon pointed.

"...Shit. That's your appendix. C'mon, we gotta hurry. The sooner we get off this island, the sooner you'll get that thing removed."

They walked to the dock; Marcus hid Cinnamon behind it, facing the water, so nobody could see. He went into the tiny storage building on the dock and removed a tarp covering a small motorboat. Moving it would be loud without help, so he had to hurry. And hurry he did.

Two legitimate crazies caught them. Marcus took them out, but it was no easy task. He hauled the now Dot into the boat and revved up the motor, going out as far as possible, but not leaving. Not yet.

"Batman, do you hear me?" he asked, pressing down on his earpiece.

"Yes."

"I see you're going to Joker's party now..."

"Yes."

"Well...before you do it, come to the dock at Arkham West."

"I don't have time for thi-"

"Please. I'll be out of your hair after that."

In about 5 minutes, Batman was on the dock. He hadn't seen them boat until Marcus revved up the motor again.

"You failed to get to my brother. I will not be going back to my cell, and neither will he. Goodbye. Catch you on the flipside." he said softly.

"...You, too."

Marcus disconnected and drove the boat towards Gotham.

Batman took care of what he needed to, Marcus knew.

Suddenly, the boat began to rock. Dot held on for dear life, Marcus turned on the thrust on the motor. Nothing. A hand reached up and grasped the side of the boat. It belonged to Scarecrow. He pulled himself up into the boat, a crate in hand.

"Hurry up, get in, we need to move!" Markus hissed, now able to move at proper speeds. "Both of us are dressed in normal attire, and I'm well groomed. They won't suspect us of being prisoners or patients. You, on the other hand, need to jump when we get near the coast. We can't afford being seen with you."

Scarecrow merely nodded, keeping his hands tight on the crate.

Gotham's skyline never looked so beautiful.


End file.
